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Note: I run Windows XP service pack 2 – I may well upgrade to SP3 at some point but decided not to jump straight in. It may be that SP3 would have fixed this – don’t know.

Problem: When I tried to Hibernate my system it would start to go through the motions and then in the System Tray the following message would come up “Insufficient System Resources Exist to Complete the API” and the system would stay powered up. This has always been the case since I got the system – I just decided to devote time to fixing it today…

UPSD.exe came with my Belkin UPS and I think is responsible for talking directly to the UPS over USB. When it falls over the PC is not in the loop and can’t power down properly or tell you what the UPS is up to – bad news. After resuming from putting XP into Stand By, UPSD would throw up an error message that it had fallen over and did I want to send details to Microsoft etc.

I was using Belkin Bulldog Plus v 3.2.19 and a new version was released in January – 4.0.2

Installing the new version threw up lots of messages – it looks like their installer does not do a good job of uninstalling the old version. I struggled through (sorry can’t recall all I did but at some point I did a Program Stop on the System Tray Icon. If I were updating again I would stop the System Tray component, Remove all the Belkin Software and only then install the new.

I was just looking around for a cheap hard disk for backup. I have some 3.5inch USB drives, some with ESATA but they are such a pain to use because they all have external psu’s – getting them out of storage, set-up and then packing them away after, with all the cables, is all hassle. ESATA should be wonderful and fast but I’ve leaned that hot swapping Esata doesn’t work for me and I can’t be rebooting just to stick in a faster drive for 30 minutes.

On the other hand 2.5 inch drives are small and don’t need external power – worse case just access to 2 x USB ports. I have a small draw with 3 x 2.5in disks in and loads of other odds and ends. Handy, handy, handy and when you are in a rush just what you want. Just before I leave my PC to go out I always think that I should leave it doing a backup – but I’m running late of course and so to actually do it everything needs to be quick and simple. Plug drive in, click icon on desktop, return to find screen saying all is done = nirvanna and peace of mind.

Anyway I thought I’d treat myself to a new 2.5 inch drive to backup my new PC. Now that only has a 150GB drive in (thought it is a supremely fast Western Digital Raptor!) but I thought it would be be prudent and last longer to get something bigger.

I’ve been eying up the new 500GB 2.5 inch drives that have just been announced, but they are not really available yet and the all up cost of one is going to be well over £200 for some while I think. Rather too much of a premium over 3.5 inch drives.

PC Pro recently did a survey of external hard drives (3.5inch and 2.5inch) and concluded the 250GB Toshiba was a bargain at £94 incl VAT.

Well at Ebyer you can get that 250GB drive now for £74.99 incl free P&P.

However I was gobsmacked to find the 320GB drive for £94.99 including free P&P – thogh that was with an additional £5 off for some unstated reason. GB for GB that’s *not* a premium over the 250GB drive and that being the case it’s what I’ve gone with. Details here:http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140656

In an earlier life I loved doing deals and now I represent some professionals involved in dance. They concentrate on the art they love and I concentrate on achieving fair terms and conditions for them. More on the LiftedLeg page.